Hijacked by Tbone: This thread will be updated with any new information we find on The Agency.//Debut AnnouncementSAN DIEGO, Calif. – June 11, 2007 – Sony Online Entertainment, (SOE) a global leader in the online gaming industry, announced it is developing The Agency™, a fast-paced online action shooter filled with espionage, intrigue and betrayal. The Agency is being developed at SOE’s Seattle studio for both the PC and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.
//Release DateTBA late 2008 or early 2009.
//Beta TestingIt is unclear at this point exactly how to get into Beta. Will it be Forum participation? Will it be random selection? No one's telling at the moment. All we have is an Email address and the wording hints at a possible way to get into beta. Interested? Send an email to the following, we have our own criteria to use. Perhaps if they see alot of people from the same place saying the same thing, it will show dedication and organization.
Send an e-mail to jointheagency@soe.sony.com.
Subject Line: "Confidential: New Recruit from Furious Angels"
Body: "I, #name, would like to enlist in The Agency. Thank you."
You can enter in whatever you want, however a majority of our members used this specific Subject and Body.
//StorylineThere is little released on the storyline, although it is hinted that there will be one that ties together all of the agencies within the game.
//AgenciesUpon starting the game the player has the opportunity to join one of two agencies, which will determine the style of missions they receive during gameplay.
* The United Nations Intelligence and Tactical Experts
(U.N.I.T.E) are the world's most elite secret agents. They are the forefront of the fight against terrorism, corruption, and rogue states around the globe. UNITE agents are deadly specialists in stealth and subterfuge, with access to technology the public has never seen before. Headquarters: Unknown Location - North America.
* They are the classic James Bond type spy. They have the coolest gadgets, the best clothes, and can get into the nicest establishments.
* The Paramilitary Global Operations Network
(ParaGON) is one of the largest private armies in the world, serving clients both upstanding and unsavory. ParaGON's efficient, honorable, and often unconventional mercenaries can be found putting duct tape and high explosives to new and exciting uses on every continent. Headquarters: Unknown Location - Africa.
* ParaGON are rough and tumble mercenaries. They have gadgets too, although you might find them duct taped together with Soviet era technology, perhaps even tubes sticking out the sides.
//Features * Become An Elite Agent: The Agency offers hundreds of unique missions with varied end-goals requiring combat, stealth, and style. With gameplay ranging from sneaky assassinations to all out assaults, from vehicle challenges to casinos loaded with mini-games, there’s something for every aspiring agent.
* Build Your Own Agency: As players advance through the ranks of their faction, they’ll also begin building their own Agencies. Players will increase their power even further by creating Joint Agencies with others.
* Mercenary or spy, the choice is yours: In The Agency, collect the right weaponry, gadgets, vehicles, gear, attire and aliases to gain access to various locales and influence over the people within them.
* Put Operatives to work: Operatives are collectible non-player characters who provide the goods player’s desire, the services to keep them alive, and allow them to concentrate on the mission at hand. Operatives work 24/7, regardless of whether players are logged in, and they can even keep them up-to-date through email and instant messages.
* Fun Now, No Waiting: The Agency is not about waiting for the fun to start. At any point, players can take a break from their high-flying career to engage in a number of other activities. Veterans and new players alike can take on other players at the card tables, the shooting range, or in head-to-head combat.
//GameplayThe game will feature FPS-style gun fighting, with some driving and other vehicular segments as well. Skill will be the primary determining factor in the success of the player, though some RPG elements will come into play as well. It has been mentioned that one shot to the head will instantly kill any player, suggesting it will be a somewhat realistic shooter. The game will also include relevant subgames and minigames, among them casino games such as Texas hold 'em, which can be played for fun or can be used to initiate instance missions, such as losing or winning enough games to draw the attention of an NPC.
In an interview on All Games Interactive, the developers had stated that the title will be primarily a shooter where a headshot is still a headshot, but other enhancements will be unlocked by the player depending on what they accomplish in the game. However, unlike other titles in which low level players have little to no chance in finishing off a high level veteran, it is possible to do so in the game. Although the high level player will take out many of the low level players in the example, they will "look cool" while doing so based on the skills and options that they have purchased in developing their character, but will eventually die. PvP will also be introduced as an option for players, not as a requirement for play. The user interface will be streamlined in comparison to most massively multiplayer online games, operating more like that of a shooter game to increase ease of interaction in the environment and streamline the combat and inventory processes.
Players will also be able to switch roles depending on what gear their avatar decides to wear. Players inclined to pursue an assault class will simply need to wear assault-type equipment, stealth players will wear stealthy equipment, and so on, negating the need to create a new character type every time they wish to experiment with a different play style. The amount of gear and costumes that each player will have access to will grow as they accomplish tasks within the game, allowing for more options. There will also be a firing range-type environment available for players to test weapons and gadgets.
The world is not a seamless environment encompassing the globe. The environment of the game is being developed around a hub and spoke system where public areas can branch off into other public zones or private areas. Players will be able to encounter other players in public areas who can join them as part of a team to help complete objectives for an assigned mission. Most of the title will be focused on player missions that can be tackled solo or with up to three other members as a team during a mission. This number can increase to eight players during what have been called "crossover" missions, to thirty two players in any area during PvP battles. Players will also be able to walk to destinations close to them, but will be able to take trains, planes, or other means of transportation to get to far off locations such as other cities or areas.
Ground, water, and air challenges with vehicles are also being planned to be part of the title. Mission types will include assault, patrol, delivery, cross-over objectives, assassination, and others inspired by many sources such as espionage films. Mini-games such as casino style gambling will also be present. Missions will be divided into "short" missions that will take 10-15 minutes to complete, "medium-length" missions of approximately 30-60 minutes, and "set pieces" that will sometimes take well over an hour to complete.
The Agency is a pick-up-and-play experience where players assume the role of elite agents in a modern-day world. Both solo players and groups will enjoy a wide variety of cooperative and competitive story-driven missions set in exotic locales across the globe.
“The inspiration for The Agency came from the spy and espionage genre. We want to put players in the heart of the action to experience what it’s really like to live the life of an elite agent,” said Hal Milton, Lead Designer, Sony Online Entertainment. “Players will jet set around this virtual world to exotic locales, infiltrate enemy organizations to steal secrets and perpetrate sabotage, all the while building their own agency with an eye towards global domination.”
Persistent character development allows players to supplement their gear with exotic and powerful skills that make them feel like the elite agents they’ve always dreamt of becoming. Additionally, in lieu of the typical class systems in many other games, The Agency’s approach is simply, “You Are What You Wear.” Players will customize their character’s attire based on the mission at hand, emphasizing combat, support, stealth, or even cover identities.
Players begin their experience by choosing to be a slick UNITE spy or a gritty ParaGON mercenary. Both factions will have players tangling in illicit activities such as drug smuggling, assassinations, espionage and counter intelligence. As they gain ranks within their chosen agency, players will increase their influence over the world while experiencing a deep story of action and intrigue. Along the way players will be able to build their own agencies, team with others to create joint agencies, and recruit a roster of useful Operatives.
//Combat
A head shot is a head shot is a head shot, thus goes the combat for The Agency. Normally in an MMO, a high level character will be untouchable by a low level character. Not so in The Agency, a starting character can kill a higher level through skill. The higher level character will have access to skills that the lower level character does not have that makes them more effective, and they will definitely look cooler, but anyone that can aim can take any other character out.
[Player Characteristics]
[Health]* The red bar indicates the players health. Generally 2 or 3 hits or one headshot are all it takes to reduce health to 0. Health regenerates quickly, so you can duck into cover, wait a few seconds and be back to full health. Players can be revived if dead by other players carrying revive kits.
[Armor]*The white bar around the outside indicates the players armor level. Lost armor does not regenerate, so losing it sucks. Players using the support role can restore some lost armor.
[Stamina]*The yellow bar shows the players stamina. This is used to perform skills and regenerates quickly.
[Interesting Combat Tidbits]*Players will be able to use a 1st or 3rd person perspective. They will be able to change on the fly.
*Enemies will not spawn where players can see them. Instead they will spawn around corners, inside buildings, or other logical locations. They will then jump out windows or doors to attack the players.
*The AI will use cover and work together to try to take out the players.
*The sniper is awesome.
*You will be able to pick up weapons and ammo from dead players or enemies.
*You will have to reload.
*You might have to drop items in order to pick up new items.
*You will not be able to shoot your group members.
*Each of the 3 main archetypes (combat, stealth, and support) will be identifiable from a distance.
[Melee Moves]There will be melee moves for when they get close to you, we’ve seen headbutt and a move where Cassie kneed them then hit them over the head with her gun. Above, Cassie’s winds up for a great melee move.
[Death Penalty]*There will be no corpse runs in the game.
*If a player dies they will return to the medical center in the nearest field office for their agency.
*Support players will have the capability to create their own checkpoints. These would allow the players to return to the check point instead of the field office.
//OperativesThe concept of Operatives is meant to be a key feature in The Agency. Players will complete missions to acquire new Operatives. Different types of Operatives will supply the player with anything from in-mission hints to advanced vehicles. Operatives can also initiate instance missions, by calling for help when they are in trouble. Better players will be rewarded with access to the better Operatives to add to their teams, making those players even stronger. Operatives will be stylistically represented as trading cards, which can be sold, auctioned, traded and given to friends and other players.
Operatives are “living loot” characters that wait in the wings for orders to build that new sports car, gather intel for the next mission, or provide that satellite scan to expose the enemy. As players advance through the game, they will collect more powerful Operatives that will better assist them with missions
//Networks-Joint AgenciesOnce players have achieved a certain level of prestige in the game they will be able to create or join "networks" with other players. In terms of functionality, networks are similar to guilds in other MMOs. Networks in The Agency will have access to special network missions that will pit rival player teams against each other in a competition to complete a common objective first. In an interview with AGI, the developers have stated that these clan-like groupings will also be called 'joint agencies'.
* The 2 factions will not be able to group together, except for limited crossever missions at the end of each act.
* They will have different mission lists completely.
* There will be some cross over missions where a team from each faction will be in the same mission but with different objectives.
//GearMost MMO’s require you to choose a class when you create your character. If after a few hours you don’t like the class, you need to create another character and then are stuck playing through the same intro content one more time. The Agency gets rid of classes, instead your skills will be defined by the clothes you wear and your experience in those clothes. The following types of outfits are available:
[Combat] – if you want to blow things up, put on your combat outfit and start shooting. Specialties include:
* Weapons Specialist – This speciality can use all the weapons and is the best at all of them
* Tactical Specialist – This speciality is the combat guy that you want to have up front to breach doors, to provide good suppression fire, etc. They’re the ones that really help you advance you advance through the space.
[Stealth] – if you feel like sneaking around, try the stealth outfit. Specialties include:
* Spec Ops – This speciality is all about infiltration, disabling security, etc.
* Psy Ops / Assassin – This speciality is about manipulating enemy AI, getting close enough to do stealth take downs, confusing them. Essentially the kind of things that you’d assume a mezzer would do in a standard fantasy game.
[Support] – if you want to buff the others, heal them, use auto turrets, then support is for you. Specialties include:
*Field Tech – this specialist can lay down turrets, custom check points, rehab certain features on a character like armor repairs, etc.
*Field Medic – this speciality is about reviving, adding buffs, clearing buffs, etc.
*Both support roles are very capable with short and medium range weapons.
//Alias – try entering some biker bar dressed in a tuxedo, or entering a high class casino in combat fatigues carrying a big machine gun, and you’ll find out quickly that access to different areas requires different clothing. You’ll be able to purchase different outfits which when combined with influence you’ve earned will create different alias’. These alias’ are used to gain access to different locations within the world. Check out the
Alias page for more information on aliases, accessories, and credentials.
As you use each type of specialty you will gain experience for that type of suit that will give you access to new skills. This leads to a couple of really intriguing ideas:
*When looking for a group if you don’t have someone to play the healer, no problem, throw on your Field Medic suit. This should improve the dynamics of looking for group members drastically.
*Say you’re hardcore and you play a ton, but have a friend that does not. Use one of the specialties only when you play with that friend and you’ll be on a somewhat even playing level. Although because your rank will be higher you’ll have access to better weapons and gadgets that they might not have.
As you gain rank within your agency you’ll gain access to new versions of each of the outfit types (combat, stealth, and support). We don’t know but think that these new versions may have more advanced skills associated with them. We do know that the higher ranked outfits will definitely look cooler.
//GadgetsWhat kind of agent would be caught dead without cool gadgets. Actually, most likely they would be caught and dead without their gadgets. The Agency plans to have all sorts of neat gadgets created by your operatives. Some examples seen so far include:
* Cars – a fancy sports car sporting a rear dropper, stinger missiles, side mounted droppers/rocket launchers, hood mounted machine guns, and a front mounted rocket launcher.
* Weapons – neat weapons and upgrades for weapons.
* Night Vision Goggles
* Grenades
* Turrets
* Radar Systems
* Checkpoints – support will be able to create checkpoints that you’ll go to if you die instead of going back to the field HQ med center.
* Hal also talked about potential to teleport to dropped checkpoints if you rejoin the mission, or have someone else join the mission.
//Character ProgressionCharacter progression is different than in most MMO’s as you progress in 3 different categories.
[Agency Rank]* This is most akin to level in other MMO’s. It is based upon all experience earned while playing. Higher ranks gives access to higher rank outfits, weapons, gadgets, items, etc. As well as the ability to have more active operatives and a larger operative roster.
[Specialty Rank]* As you earn experience towards your Agency Rank it is also applied to the specialty outfit that you used to earn it.
*This new experience earns new titles for that specialty. These new titles unlock new skills.
*There are currently three titles within each rank, and five ranks for each specialty.
[Weapon Expertise]* As you use weapon types you will earn experience for that weapon which will unlock new weapon specific skills.
*Weapon experience is applied to a weapon family. Weapon families include pistols, shotguns, battle rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, etc.
*Within the family, experience is applied to the equiped weapon’s rank. So if you are using a rank E weapon, that experience will apply to the weapon families rank E.
*This experience will earn badges within the families rank. The badges open up new skills.
*You will the ability use weapons of the same rank as your overall rank. Even if you haven’t used the lower rank versions of those weapons. You’ll gain the extra damage and faster refire rates of the weapon, but you would not have access to the skills from the lower ranks.
*You would have the ability to go back and earn these skills by using a lower rank weapon and getting experience in that rank.
*Some skills in the higher ranks might also be dependent on skills within the lower rank. This is designed to keep demand up for lower ranked weapons.
*There are currently five badges within each of the five weapon ranks.
//TechnicalThe developers have stated in an interview with All Games Interactive that 30 frames-per-second is their minimum target frame rate. They have also stated that they will attempt to develop the title in order to use all of the available resolution capabilities present in the PS3. Voice communication is also a feature that will be used in the title and that the PS3 hard drive will feature heavily in their ability to deliver content to the player.
//SpecsDeveloper(s): SOE Seattle
Publisher(s): Sony Online Entertainment
Engine: Unreal Engine 3.0
Platform(s): PlayStation 3, PC
Genre(s): MMO Shooter
Rating(s): Rating Pending
//WebsitesOfficial SiteFacebook Fan SiteAgency HQ (fansite)//VideosDirector's Cut Game Footage//Articles-InterviewsThe Agency first lookBattle for Free playUpdated Impression: Looks like a WinnerGame Informer/Hal MiltonMPOGDHal Milton InterviewArticleTake a look under the hoodThe Agency Q&AX-Play Takes a look at The Agency//Screenshots-ConceptsImage 01Image 02Image 03Image 04Image 05Image 06Image 07Image 08Image 09Concept 01Concept 02Concept 03Concept 04Concept 05Concept 06Concept 07Concept 08Concept 09
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